


under her fingertips flowers grew

by marshmallownose



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Bittersweet?, Drabble, F/F, Kind of angsty, Nimueh is so heartsick I'm sorry babe, Past Relationship(s), Pre-Canon, Rare Pairings, but also kind of current relationship, it's complicated - Freeform, maybe I'll write a happy one-shot of them soon, not beta'd i wrote this in two minutes, perhaps wistful is the right word
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2020-09-01 05:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20253268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshmallownose/pseuds/marshmallownose
Summary: - would you kill for me, my love?- i would, my dear.





	under her fingertips flowers grew

**Author's Note:**

> the bbc were cowards for not giving us something like this, so i'm doing it now.  
dedicated to @racheIsmcdams on twitter bc we were crying about this earlier

The sky stretched blue and vast above them, wisps of white clouds breathing with the breeze. Under her fingertips the flowers grew, dainty white and yellow things that curled up from the earth and unfurled into the summer sun. The air grew thick with the sweet perfume of magic, and Ygraine cooed appreciatively at Nimueh’s display, brushing her knuckle, feather-light, over one of the glossy petals.

“They’re lovely,” the Queen said softly, meeting the High Priestess’ gaze with a soft look.

Nimueh offered her a tender smile, as she plucked several of the blossoms and began to weave them together. “Not as lovely as you, my lady,” came the quiet reply, eyes falling to the chain of flowers in her hand as she worked.

Ygraine’s gaze grew sad. She didn’t miss the challenge in those words, nor did she miss the subtle clench of Nimueh’s jaw when Ygraine placed a hand over the swell of her pregnant belly. Many things had changed since their story began. “Nimueh, you know I care for you—_deeply_—and the time we spent together was irreplaceable, but—”

“But you care for Uther, too,” Nimueh cut in, gaze still on the chain that her nimble fingers wove together. “I know,” she continued, voice gone doleful. She looked up, then, deep blue eyes only slightly watery. “He cares for you, too. _Deeply._ Sometimes, I think he’d kill to make you happy.”

“Would you?” Ygraine asked abruptly, surprising both the sorceress and herself with the question. It wasn’t fair to ask that, not to the woman who sat before her. Maybe once, back when the memory of lips on skin mixed with the heady scent of apple blossoms was not only a memory but reality. Not now, though, when she was the Queen of Camelot carrying her husband’s heir and Nimueh was Uther’s closest friend in court. She had not the right to ask such a question of the fair priestess. Not anymore.

Still, Nimueh, ever obliging, connected the two ends of her woven chain into a crown of flowers and placed it gently atop Ygraine’s blonde curls. “Yes,” she answered after a long, tense silence, eyes landing briefly on the Queen’s swollen stomach before flitting back up to Ygraine's. She took the Queen's face in her hands as gently as though she were holding a newborn babe; she leaned forward on her knees and pressed a sad, chaste kiss to her hairline that made the dull ache in both women's hearts flare up like embers. “Yes, my lady. I would.”


End file.
